Growing up on a farm in Ohio, I remember Christmases that seemed more organic, and traditional than what we have now.
In college, not having a lot of money, I gave my parents hand-written poems on parchment paper. I made my friends little baskets filled with movie passes and candy. And once, I gave my very used Charlotte's Webb book to my teacher because I wanted other kids to read it.
When I was younger, my grandmother would knit sweaters for us and we'd make Slovakian sweet breads. I helped my mom make hard tack candy for my classmates. And one year we went to a neighboring farm and made our own popcorn balls.
So, I did a little research and found this really interesting movement called Buy Nothing Christmas, which includes a whole website devoted to discovering what you already have.
While this may seem extreme, I wondered how do you decide how much you'll spend on your children's Christmas presents? What kinds of alternative gifts have you given?
